The Pilot and the Beast
by Silver Dragon of the Storm
Summary: The Final Fantasy VII cast in Beauty and the Beast! But with a Twist. Yes, it does deserve an capital 'T'. Shounen ai, CidxVincent. New Chapter!
1. Prologue

Silver Dragon: Hey... The bit about the Twist is that nobody has ever done a FF7 shounen-ai couple for Disney movies... At least not that I know of... So... Yea... Tell me if I'm wrong...

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The Pilot and the Beast: Prologue

Once upon a time, there lived a fair and kind prince. The prince was nice, just, and he treated his servants with respect. He had a great personality, and he could hold his temper well. All his servants respected him and followed him in return for his kindness.

The one cold night, a crazy mad scientist came knocking at the mansion door. The Prince, being as kind as he is, let the mad scientist in (not knowing he was a mad scientist), to stay for the night.

Unfortunately, no amount of hospitality could save the kind prince, because the mad scientist had no soul.

That night, while the prince slept, the scientist came in and shot, drugged him, then started to perform experiments on him. The scientist allowed no one to see the prince, and he did not grant the prince peace while he preformed the experiments.

The scientist left one week later, after finishing his experiments and drugging the prince again. The drug this time was to make the prince sleep while he got away. The scientist, being the sadistic twisted bastard he was, used a powerful 'Transform' materia to change and put a curse on the mansion. It made the mansion evil and scary looking. The once white walls were now black. The nice, beautiful statues were turned into vicious gargoyles. Not only did the spell transform the mansion, but also those who inhabited it.

The servants were transformed into inanimate objects, though they could still move and talk, they no longer looked as they had before.

After that bastard, crazy, sadistic, mad scientist left, a sorceress appeared. She knocked upon the door. She dully noted that the door was opened by a suit of armour.

"Are you the master of this mansion?" The sorceress asked, and then questioned herself in why she was asking a suit of armour this.

"No, he can not come down, but if he could, he would have," answered the suit.

"May I inquire why?" Tifa Lockheart, the sorceress asked.

"Our lord ails, my lady," said the suit. "As do we. We were all once humans but an evil mad scientist used our lord's hospitality for his own selfish needs. Now we are all like this, including our lord."

"Take me to your master," Tifa commanded. She followed the suit of armour until they came upon the prince.

"My God…" Tifa whispered, tears forming. Once where there was a majestic and good-looking prince was a beast. It had long horns coming from its head. Black fur, a long black mane, and a tail. Also to add to the sinister and overall cruel look, the once prince had claws and fangs.

"I don't believe my magic can completely get rid of this curse, but I shell give it a try," said the sorceress. She chanted a spell, which then created a rose. "This is the best I can do. If the prince can fall in love, and get their love in return, this awful curse will be broken."

"Thank you, my lady," said the suit of armour.

"But he has to do this before the last petal of this rose falls," Tifa added. "I wish I could do more, but my powers are only so strong."

"You did your best, and we thank you for that."

After the sorceress left, and many years past with no one coming to the mansion. The prince fell into despair, as the rose slowly bloomed, then began to wilt, because he knew…. Who could ever love a beast?

-

Silver Dragon: Hello again, Um... I put Tifa as the sorceress because I don't like her as much as Aeris, and Aeris will be appearing more if she stays where she is now. It's short... but that's because it is the prologue... So yea.. RR? Please?


	2. The Pilot and his Sister

Silver Dragon: Hello! New chapter to the Pilot and the Beast as you can see. Um... About the spelling mistakes... If they have something to do with the 'u' in armour, it's because I'm Canadian and we put 'u's in words like that (colour, favourite, etc.). I'm not going to stop spelling like that, so leave me alone... I didn't see any other spelling mistakes... Ah well

Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with Disney or Final Fantasy. But one can dream, right?

* * *

Chapter One: The Pilot and his Sister 

A tall blonde man left a cottage-like house outside of a small village. He had a cigarette in his mouth and a book in his hand as he made his way into the town.

Cid, as the man was called, did not want to burst into song about how quaint and quiet the small town was.

"This damn town is so damn boring," is what he did say. The town's baker walked by with his goods, whistling to himself.

"Bonjour Cid," the baker greeted.

"Bonjour"

"What are you doing today?"

"Returning a book I finished," Cid said, then he was about to say what the book was about, when he was rudely cut off.

"That's nice"

"Bastard," Cid muttered under his breath as he walked away from the baker.

Unfortunately for Cid, even if he didn't burst into song about the village, that didn't stop them from singing about him.

"There goes that young man, what a strange young man he is"

Cid gritted his teeth, they did this every time he came into town. Cid then turned around and flipped the middle finger at them. That didn't discourage them.

"With his head always in books…"

Cid half ran all the way to the library to get away from the singing. Cid was sure one day all of songs would drive him crazy. Cid breathed a sigh of relief when he entered the library. The doors and windows muffled or completely stopped the songs from coming through.

"Oh, hello Cid," said the old librarian, when he heard Cid come in he looked up from some book. The old man stood up and walked towards the blonde man. "How are you?"

"#in' awful" Cid muttered. "They won't stop that # singing"

"I guess they need something to do and you are somewhat new to the town," the librarian said, and then shrugged. "What are you here for?"

"I'm returning the book"

"Already!"

"Yup, I couldn't #in' put it down," Cid said, handing the book to the older man. Then he started to walk along the shelves, searching. "Got anything new?"

"Not since yesterday," said the bookkeeper, placing the book Cid had finished on a shelf. The old man was annoyed with Cid's continual swearing at first, but he had gotten used to it. Same with Cid's smoking.

"Well… I'll take this one," Cid decided, pulling a book off the shelf.

"That one? But you've already read it two times!"

"Third # time is the charm" answered Cid, grinning.

"Well then you can keep it"

"Really? # Thanks"

"Good day to you," said the librarian as Cid walked out of the library, back to the singing.

One thing about books Cid enjoyed was that sometime he could get so into the book that he could block off all sound. Including singing. He walked down the street, dodging the occasional kid that ran into his way, after fighting the urge to kick the kid.

Shera watched Cid walk by as she reloaded her gun. She aimed at another duck that was flying and shot at it. She adjusted her glasses as the duck fell to the earth.

A fat man rushed forward and shoved the duck into a bag along with the other game Shera had gotten today.

"You're the best Shera!" Palmer exclaimed, running back to the woman's side.

"I know," Shera replied in an annoying fashion, but nobody told her that. "And the best deserves the best as her husband"

"Yea, I know, so who's the lucky guy?" Palmer asked.

"Him," Shera said, pointing at the oblivious Cid, who was slowly making his way home.

"The pilot? The crazy girl's brother?" Palmer said astonished. He never found Cid the best at anything really. Except for building things or tolerating his sister. "Why Cid?"

"I chose Cid because he is the best, and the best looking man in this town," Shera told him. " He is the best, and I deserve the best."

"Well, yea, but he's weird, and his sister is crazy" Palmer pointed out. He also wanted to point out that Cid wasn't the best looking man in town. There was Rufus and some others. He also didn't mention how annoying it was when Shera kept repeating herself. Palmer didn't tell her this because he knew that she who try to kill him if he said it.

"Really? I hadn't noticed his sister," Shera said. "Now if you excuse me." Then Shera walked off to catch up with Cid, leaving Palmer behind with all her game and gun.

Cid had noted that the villagers had stopped singing, but he didn't stop reading. He had gotten to one of the best parts in the book. The two main characters were meeting for the first time, and he really enjoyed the fight between them.

He read on until the book was pulled out of his hands. Cid came back to the real world and looked up to see Shera holding his book. "Can I have my book back Shera?" Cid asked politely as he could.

"How can you read this?" Shera questioned, flipping through the pages. "There aren't any pictures."

"Give me the damn book," Cid growled. "You're a scientist, you should know how to # read."

"Yes, I do, but I like books with pictures," Shera said, throwing Cid's book over her shoulder. The book fell into a puddle of mud. "People have been talking, or singing actually…" Shera corrected herself, and began to wonder why.

Cid picked up his book from the mud, and wiped it with a scarf that was around his neck. "Oh really," he said sarcastically.

"Yes," Shera answered, not catching Cid's sarcasm. "You shouldn't be reading. You should be doing more manly things… Like hunting, for example."

Cid rolled his eyes. "I enjoy what I # do, and if I should be hunting, shouldn't you be at # home cooking or something?"

"Don't change the subject," Shera scolded. "You should be getting yourself a wife soon, you know."

"If you damn well think it's going to be you. Sorry to burst your # bubble, but it isn't gonna be you, bitch." Cid growled. Shera had done this multiple time before, and if he didn't want it before, Cid didn't want it now. "Now I have to go home and see if Sis blew up my mechanics workshop."

Palmer jogged up; it had taken him awhile to catch up because of his lack of exercise. "Your sister is crazy! Everybody knows it." He laughed after catching his breath. Shera joined in too.

"She isn't crazy, she's just weird," Cid almost yelled, glaring at palmer with and evil glint in his eye. He sure did wish he had the Venus Gospel right now, so he could run that fat pig through. Then there was an explosion from Cid's house.

"SHIT!" Cid yelled, running towards his home. Leaving Shera and Palmer rolling on the ground laughing.

(Scene Change)

Cid climbed down the stairs that lead into the cellars. When he had first came to the village he had turned the cellars into a mechanic workshop so he could tinker and build things. Though recently, his younger sister had kicked him out.

"Dammit Sis, if you've blown up anything of mine, I swear…" Cid coughed, waving away the smoke that filled the cellar. Then he came face to face with his sister who was almost completely covered in grey ash.

She coughed a couple of times, and then lifted the goggles, which looked suspiciously looked like his, from her eyes.

"How was I supposed to know those chemicals were going to explode!" Yuffie said indignantly.

"Those are # mine!" Cid exclaimed, recognising his goggles. "I was wondering where they went. You stole them you brat!"

"Hey! Hey! I need them!" Yuffie said. She ducked out and under Cid's swiping hand. She moved to the other side of the thing she was making. "I think I'm going to give up on this hunk of junk."

"Good, now I can have my # workshop back."

"Nevermind! I think I have new inspiration!" She exclaimed, climbing underneath the machine.

"Brat, you're just trying to keep me from what I like"

"Am not! Now can you hand me that funny silver hand-thingy?"

"A wrench?"

"Yea, that thing"

Cid handed Yuffie the wrench and sat down on a chair near by. "Yuffie, do you think I'm weird?"

"You weird? Of course!" Came the reply from underneath the machine.

"You really # helpful aren't you, brat"

"Yup!" Yuffie said, coming out from under the machine, ignoring Cid's sarcasm.

"So, what the # is it?" Cid asked, it didn't have any sort of shape he could recognize.

"It's a Materia Finding machine!" Yuffie exclaimed. "Can't you tell?"

"# No. Why did you make it?" Cid asked.

"You know that fair with the prize money?"

"Yea, the one out of town…" Cid confirmed. "Wait… You aren't # entering that are you? Why didn't you let me build it?"

"Yes I am and because I wanted to do something," Yuffie answered Cid's questions in order. "The villagers aren't that much fun to steal from anymore, it's way too easy."

"You know, you always talking about materia and stealing it from them makes the village think your crazy," Cid told Yuffie as he walked around the 'Materia Finder'. "Does the # thing work?"

"Let's see!" Yuffie ran up and pressed a seemingly random button on the machine.

Many things started to spin, or make any sort of movement. A different array of sounds came from the machine as a claw started to move towards Cid's back pocket.

"Finder my ass," Cid grumbled as the claw withdrew holding a Cover materia he had. "It steals."

"Not exactly," Yuffie said innocently. "It's just doing that so… uh… I have proof that I found it! Yea!"

"Sure, you brat" Cid said, grabbing his materia back, and shoving it back into his pocket. "So, when will you be leaving?"

"Er… After lunch," Yuffie told him. "I need to take a bath and change." She motioned to her soot, ash covered clothes and body.

"Let me guess, you're # going by yourself?"

"Of course! I'm old enough to look after myself!" She said defiantly. "I don't need you, mother hen, on my back all the time!"

"Mother #in' hen? Care to say that again to my face, brat?"

"Uh… I gotta go and get ready! See ya!" Yuffie said hurriedly, rushing up and out of the workshop.

"Damn brat" Cid muttered, following his sister at a slower pace.

(Scene Change)

After lunch, which Cid cooked because he didn't trust Yuffie in the kitchen, Yuffie hooked up her 'Materia Finder' to their family horse, Red XIII.

"See ya, Big Bro!" Yuffie yelled as she and Red XIII rode off.

"Good luck brat!" Cid called back affectionately. He sighed. As much as he hated to admit it, he'd miss her. Cid turned back towards his house, lit a cigarette and walked towards his home.

(Scene Change)

In the middle of a forest, Yuffie glared down at a map she had in her hands. She looked up, and shivered. The trees were all droopy and claw-like, as if reaching down to grab her. The forest didn't seem natural.

"Look what you did, Red!" Yuffie said, annoyed. "You got us lost!"

Red XIII rolled his eyes in a very un-horse-like fashion, and kept going forward through the forest until they came to a crossroad.

Yuffie held up the lantern she was using to look at the map, to now look at the sign in between the two roads.

"You can't read a damn thing on that sign," Yuffie said getting more and more annoyed. She then started wondering when she had started sounding like Cid.

The sign she was looking at was scratched up, and whatever was written on it before was smudged. All in all, she couldn't read it, no matter how hard she tried.

"Darn it," she muttered. Yuffie looked at the two roads, on looked fairly normal, while the other looked even spookier than the one she was on now.

Yuffie felt a strange pull to go towards the scarier road for reasons unknown to her. "Come on, let's go this way."

Red XIII looked at where Yuffie wanted to take them, then moved towards the better road.

"No, this way you stupid horse," Yuffie said, pulling on the reigns and making Red XIII go towards the spooky road.

There was fog on this road, which made it even creepier than the last. As they made their was along, Yuffie began to have second thoughts.

"Maybe we should go back Red…" Yuffie trailed off uncertainly. Red XIII nodded in agreement and was getting ready to turn around. That's when the wolves howled.

Yuffie looked around, trying to find where the sounds had come from. Unlike Yuffie, the red horse was terrified, and started to back away faster than planned.

The 'Materia Finder' hit a tree that was right behind it. Unfortunately, the said tree was inhabited by bats. When the bats were rudely awakened from their sleep, they decide that there was no point trying to get back to sleep. They then flew out to hunt.

Bats flew out of a hole in the tree that Red XIII backed into. Which scared the poor horse into reeling back and bucking.

"AHHH!" Yuffie yelled as she fell from Red XIII's back. She grunted in pain when she hit the ground. "Ow…" Yuffie muttered, raising herself to her hands and knees. When she looked up she saw Red bolting away as if he were hunted. "Come back you stupid horse!"

Yuffie had thought of yelling, but stopped when another howl filled the sky. She got up shakily, getting mad at herself for not bringing her Conformer.

She had made it a little ways before she saw her lovely wolf friends. Yuffie backed away as they came forward. She kept backing away until she found out she was at the edge of the steep hill with a long drop down. She swallowed.

A wolf lunged at her, and she took a step back, forgetting that there was nothing there. Yuffie let out a cry as she fell and hit protruding stones until she hit a solid landing.

"I'm going to feel that in the morning…" Yuffie muttered as she rubbed her bottom, which she fell on. "If I survive to morning…" She added, looking up the mountain to see the wolves making their descent.

Yuffie looked around in hope to find somewhere useful to run. She then noticed a gate. It was old and rusty, but other than those things, in relatively good condition. Yuffie then looked beyond the gate to see a very creepy and spooky mansion. She gulped.

"Die now by wolves, or die later in a haunted mansion by ghosts and monsters," Yuffie murmured to herself aloud. She decided quickly when the wolves had made it to the bottom of the hill.

Yuffie bolted for the gate, her ninja speed helping her a great deal. Though the wolves ran after her whether or not she was fast, they knew the hunt was on. Yuffie, not losing momentum, kicked the gate open with her foot. She tripped inside when she lost her balanced, and fell. Then with her orange sneaker, kicked the gate shut in the face, and jaws, of a wolf that was lunging at her.

"Ha!" Yuffie said defiantly, trying to breath normally instead of in quick gasps. She crawled away from the gate as the wolves still tried to get her. Then to all of Yuffie's bad luck, it started to rain. "Dammit."

Yuffie stood up slowly. Then she hugged herself in an attempt to keep warm as she made her way to the door of the spooky mansion. She knocked on it hesitantly. "Anybody home?" She muttered.

When she pushed against the door, she discovered it was open.

Yuffie poked her head in to the mansion and looked around, then whistled. _These are some high living ghosts and monsters_, she thought.

"Is anybody home? I'd like a place to stay for the night, please?" She said as she walked inside, taking in her surroundings.

The most noticeable thing was the stairs. They were right in the middle of the entrance hall. They were huge and grand, but dusty from not being used in a long time. There were two halls that went somewhere on each side of the stairs. Other doors were littered around the entrance hall as well.

Yuffie noticed a small table by the entrance. On it was a black candleholder and a silver clock. She didn't give them a second glance as she made her way to the middle of the hall.

"Don't you dare think about it, Zack" whispered the silver clock to the black candleholder.

"Come on Sephy," the black holder whined back. "She's cold and has no place to go."

"No!" The clock hissed. "And don't call me Sephy!"

"Is anybody here?" Yuffie asked. She heard whispering, but couldn't find out where it was coming from_. The ghosts aren't supposed to come yet! They're supposed to wait until I looked around more!_

"Yup!" said Zack happily, and then got hit over the head by Sephiroth.

"You idiot!"

Yuffie whipped around and mentally kicked herself again for forgetting her Conformer. Then she wondered if physical weapons actually worked on ghosts… "Where are you?"

"Right here" Zack waved his arms, and then dodge Sephiroth's attack.

Yuffie blinked and stared. She walked up slowly, and picked up the silver clock. "Wow… I wonder how much I'd get if I sold these…" She said as she looked at the clock from different angles. "Is this real silver?"

"Let me go, and we aren't for sale" Sephiroth growled, then he kicked Yuffie's wrist and dropped back to the table. Even in the confines of a clock shape, he was able to land on his feet.

"Ow…" Yuffie muttered, rubbing her wrist. "Sorry, um, can I stay for the night? I lost my horse, it's raining and it's cold."

"Sure," Zack agreed. "Come this way!" Then with that said, he jumped off the table and hopped towards one of the doors, completely ignoring Sephiroth's death glare.

Yuffie followed the black candleholder into a room with a roaring fireplace. Then she noticed the clock her past her and shoved the candleholder against the wall.

"What the hell are you thinking!" Sephiroth hissed. "You-Know-Who is going to kill her and us!"

"You're overreacting, Vince wouldn't kill us, and anyway she's cold!" Zack said. "Too late now, she's in his chair."

Sephiroth turned around to see the girl had gotten herself comfortable in Vincent's chair. He hit what would be his forehead with his hand. "We are all going to die."

"Overreacting"

"Shut up Zack"

Yuffie looked up to see one of those standing coat hanger-things put a blanket on her, and then a foot stool that barked situated itself underneath her feet. Then she noticed there was a cup of tea on her lap. Yuffie was surprised at herself. She was sure that she should be crazy by now, with all the talking and moving object that shouldn't be doing that.

_Maybe this place isn't filled with monsters and ghosts after all,_ Yuffie thought. Congratulating herself on a job well done, she took a sip of her tea.

Suddenly the fire went out as a cold wind came in. Yuffie swallowed the sip she had taken and noticed how all the objects, or people, flattened them against the closest wall. She then heard the candleholder's voice.

"Er, hi" Zack said lamely. "Don't get mad. She was cold and she needed a place to-" Zack made himself shut up when the person he was talking to blew out his candles.

Yuffie had a sinking feeling in her stomach. She just had to check… She turned to her right to see all the people-object-things were attempting to seem as small as possible.

Seeing nothing to fix her curiosity there, she turned to her left to come face-to-face with-

"Monster!" Yuffie squeaked, trying to become one with the chair, and failing.

"You see a monster do you?" Said the 'monster'. It was large, black and scaring Yuffie like nothing before.

"N-no! I was just thinking! And you appearing there freaked me out and I said the last thing aloud! It has nothing to do with you," Yuffie had the feeling that babbling on wouldn't save her. "Please don't kill me."

"What are you doing here?" the monster growled. It leaned forward baring it's fangs.

"I-I needed a place to stay," Yuffie stammered.

"You want a place to stay?" The monster almost roared. "I'll give you a place to stay! In the dungeons!"

Yuffie was easily lifted out of the chair and dragged off.

"Vince!" Zack called after, but was shut up when the door closed in his face.

To be continued

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Silver Dragon: Good? Or bad? See, I told you it would be longer than the prologue. Review please! 


	3. The Beast and his Servants

Silver Dragon: Sorry, I really don't like typing much, and I didn't get much time to type anyway. So that's when I took my dad's laptop when he wasn't looking, and typed, HOORAY! I noticed a problem with Cid's swearing, he was supposed to have a whole bunch of other symbols, but only the number symbol showed up, so I decided to make a new way for Cid's swearing. Anyway, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, phooey

* * *

Cid was reading his book happily. Books were one thing that Yuffie couldn't take away from him. She couldn't sit still for more that half an hour and she always complained on how many words and how boring they were. So Cid was sitting in a big, comfy chair on a nice afternoon, reading contently. 

Meanwhile, outside, Shera had dressed up in her best lab coat and was standing a little ways off from Cid's house. She turned around to the wedding party behind her.

"Thank you all for coming, now if you could bear with me as I go and ask him to marry me." Shera laughed, and they laughed along with, like the stupid idiots they were. Shera turned to Palmer. "You know what to do right?"

"Yup! When you come out, I strike up the band!" Palmer made a motion to do so, but was stopped when Shera hit him across the head.

"Not now, idiot." With that, she made her was to the house.

Cid had gotten to the part where the main characters worked together, different from their constant arguing, to defeat a sub-villain, when he heard a knock on his door.

"Damn bastard ruining my reading," he muttered as he stood up and walked across the room to the door. He looked through this telescope thing, which he could never figure out a name for, that he and Yuffie had made together, to see who was on the other side. He was presented with Shera's not-so-wonderful face. "Damn bitch can't leave a man alone."

Cid unlatched the door so he could give Shera a piece of his mind. A very awful and annoyed piece.

Shera strode right in as if she owned the place. "Cid, today is you're lucky day!"

"You're going leave me the f#ck alone?"

"No… Guess again" Shera glared at him. "Here's a hint, it's all your dreams come true."

"Yuffie is going to act her age?"

"No! I'm getting myself my prefect husband!" Shera sat down where Cid was before and got her muddy boots all over Cid's book.

"How is that my f#ckin' special day?" Cid asked, annoyed, while getting his book out from under Shera's boots.

"Do you know who my husband is?" Shera asked.

"No," Cid answered as he cleaned his book again, and shoved it into the bookshelf angrily. He hadn't noticed that Shera had gotten up and walked over to him. Cid turned around to come face to face with her.

"You," Shera said, leaning towards him. "We can also have as many kids as you want."

"No, and no kids" Cid said as he ducked out and around Shera when she tried to hug him. "Now get out of my f#ckin' house!"

"Not until I get what I want" Shera advanced towards Cid, as he backed away towards the door. She placed both hands on either side of his face, and leaded forward. Though she didn't see Cid's hand going towards the door handle.

"I'm sorry, ya bitch, but I insist!" Cid ducked and side stepped after he opened the door. Then he watched as Shera tumbled out of his house and down the steps. "Don't come back!" Cid yelled. "Or I swear that I'll kill ya!" Then slammed the door shut.

Shera heard the band music start as she stood up and dusted herself off. "Shut up," she growled as she walked by. She hit Palmer over the head when he didn't.

"Sorry," Palmer said in an annoyed manner. "I guess it didn't work right?"

"It's a small set back, but I will make him mine!" Shera screeched, then stomped off.

"Pushy" Palmer muttered to himself.

* * *

Cid poked his head out, and looked around. Deciding that Shera was long gone, he stepped out. He lit a cigarette as he walked around back to feed the animals. 

In the beginning, their house wasn't supposed to be a farm. Yuffie's hate towards animal cruelty caused these animals to come here. She always seemed to bring a new animal home every day, either because it was going to be killed or sold to some butcher. Red XIII was one of them, he was the smallest horse at the farm he used to be at, and he was going to be sold for testing. Yuffie had intervened by pestering the owner until he gave Red to her so she would shut up. That is also how she got most of the others too.

Cid walked around back, and stared at all the sheep, chickens, cats, dogs, and other animals they owned. He sighed, then methodically moved around and fed them all. Yuffie had declared since she had saved them, she didn't have to feed them. So Cid got stuck with the job.

"The nerve of that bitch, asking me to marry her," Cid grumbled as he finished up feeding the animals. "I swear I'll kill her if she asks again…"

Cid put away the food and walked away from where the animals were kept, towards a small flowered hill behind his house. He and Yuffie had come to live here a little while after their father died. Their mother had died giving birth to Yuffie, but nobody hated her for that. Yuffie had gotten most of their father's attention after that, seeing how she took after her mother more than Cid did. Cid didn't mind, he had an idea of the loss his father had suffered. As they got older, it seemed Cid and Yuffie's father lost the will to live, and taken up drinking. In the end, their father died from intoxication. After their father's death, Cid had taken it upon himself to look after Yuffie. They then moved to this town when Yuffie was ten, and lived pretty well, except for those singing towns people.

Cid was broken out of his thoughts when he heard a whiny and the jingle of harnesses. He blinked a couple of times. Yuffie shouldn't be back for a while; it had only been a day…

Cid stood up and turned towards Red XIII as the horse approached. Then Cid noticed one really important thing missing.

"Where's the brat?" Cid growled, hoping for an answer. Red neighed in return. "Okay, screw that, can you take me to her?" Red XIII nodded his head in a horse fashion.

Cid unhitched Yuffie's machine from Red's back and was about to climb on when he thought of something.

"Wait a second," Cid told Red, then rushed back to his house. He went inside grabbed his coat and then grabbed his spear from the mechanics workshop.

Cid climbed onto Red XIII's back and took the reins. "Let's go." Red XIII didn't need a kick to start.

* * *

Cid looked up at the large mansion behind the gates he and Red were in front of. 

"She went in there?" Cid said to himself. He slide off Red's back and walked forward to open the gate. He looked down to see a shuriken on the ground, which Yuffie didn't notice she dropped. Cid nodded his head in confirmation that she was here, went and grabbed Red's reins, then walked towards the doors.

Cid tied Red XIII to a post rear the door before he walked inside. When Cid walked into the main lobby the first thing he noticed, much like his sister, were the stairs. He looked around to see other doorways but they were all closed, and after checking one, were probably all locked.

Cid started up the stairs, with his spear at his side as he used it as a walking stick.

"Yuffie?" Cid called out, it echoed through the mansion, breaking the heavy silence for a couple of seconds, and then it seemed to get swallowed by it. Cid walked along the halls looking and occasionally calling out for Yuffie, but he got emptiness and silence in return.

* * *

Zack was once again having an argument with Sephiroth. Even if they were the best of friends, more than that too, they rarely agreed with each other. 

"He is even more pissed off than usual because of that stunt you pulled with the girl."

"It wasn't a stunt!" Zack shot back. "She was cold and needed a place to stay! Haven't you ever head of compassion-"

"Yuffie?" Both of them heard a new voice call out.

"What the Hell?" Sephiroth said.

"You mean, who the Hell!" Zack corrected happily.

"What? Oh no Zack, don't you dare," Sephiroth warned. "It sounds like a guy and Vincent is already pissed off at us already."

"Too late!" Zack whispered, as a blonde young man walked by the room they were in. "Do you think he is looking for the girl?"

"Probably"

"Well! Come on, let's show him the way!"

"What? No!" Sephiroth said hurriedly, but as pulled away anyway by an excited Zack.

* * *

Cid was pretty much at the end of his rope when he came up to another hallway that looked almost the exact same as the rest. He was about to turn around and leave, when he noticed something. The thing that he noticed was a steady light disappeared behind a doorway. 

"Hello?" Cid called. He didn't get an answer, so he followed the light into the new room.

The room was made of stone, and was completely bare; nothing to hid the damp and coolness of it. He saw the light at the top of a spiral staircase that was near by.

"Damn person doesn't want to wait…" Cid muttered as he climbed the stairs. When he got to the top, he passed a black candleholder, but paid no notice.

"Yuffie?"

"Cid!"

Cid dropped his spear by the doorway and rushed to the other side of what appeared to be a dungeon.

"Are you okay brat?" Cid asked, kneeling and looking through the bars where he heard Yuffie's voice come from.

"Y-yea, I'm kinda of cold, but fine" Yuffie said, then coughed a couple if times.

"You're sick!"

"Well it's not my fault!" Yuffie muttered. "Cid, um, you should leave, there's some-"

"I came here to f#ckin' get ya, dammit!" Cid growled. "And I'm gonna drag you home, whether you like it or not!"

"I'm happy about the idea of going home, big bro, ecstatic," Yuffie assured him. "It's him who isn't"

"Huh?" The next thing Cid knew, he was violently thrown to the other side of the room. He rubbed the back of his head and looked at the looming shape in the shadows.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" Cid heard the shape growl.

"I'm her brother and I'm here to take her home!" Cid shot back, standing up.

Cid heard a snort in the shadow's direction. "I'd like to see you try, she's my prisoner."

"She's sick and I'm taking her home!" Cid almost yelled, while searching for his spear. He saw it and moved towards it. He then felt a rush of air, like a passing breeze, and the next thing he knew was that he was once again shoved roughly against the opposite wall.

Cid felt a slight pain on his shoulder where the claws grabbed him.

"You okay?" He heard Yuffie ask him, Cid noticed he was thrown near his younger sister.

"I repeat, I'd like to see you try," the shadow growled.

Cid needed to get Yuffie out of here as soon as possible, and this thing wasn't going to let her go anytime soon… So he got an idea. It wasn't the best one, but it would help Yuffie out. "What if I became your prisoner instead?" Cid asked.

There was a pause from the shadows. Then the answer came in a subdued whisper. "You would do that for her?"

"Damn straight," Cid replied.

"Cid? What are you doing?" Yuffie questioned, not believing her ears. "I'm the Great Ninja Yuffie! I can take care of myself!"

"I don't f#ckin' care, you're going home"

Before Yuffie could argue back, the shadow appeared and dragged her out, to the door. "CID!"

What the ninja got as a replied was a wave, her big brother seemed to know that he wouldn't have enough time to say anything as his little sister got dragged down the stairs.

Cid looked around after Yuffie left, saw the open cell, went and grabbed his spear and sat on the other side of the room. He wasn't going in there without a fight.

Cid looked out the window to see Yuffie being thrown into a box with legs. It ambled off towards the gate, towards the village. He stood up and readied his spear when he heard footsteps climbing up. Just because he was going to be this guy's prisoner, didn't mean he was going to be passive about it. When the looming shadow reappeared, Cid needed to know something. "Can you step into the light?"

There was a shuffle in the shadows when the first foot appeared in the small but steady stream of moonlight that fell from the rafters. The foot was clawed, black, and furry. When the rest of the beast appeared, Cid swallowed.

It was large; it stood on its two hind feet. Completely covered in short black fur, the monster had claws on his feet as well as his hands. He had a long tail, and he had horns protruding from his forehead. Last, he had a long messy black mane. But what Cid noticed the most was the monster's intelligent blood red eyes. "Regretting your decision?"

Cid stood tall, glaring back. "No, I f#ckin' don't"

"Follow me then," the beast said, turning towards the door.

Cid blinked, looked at the cell, then looked back at the beast. "What?"

His 'host' sighed. "You'll be staying here for a long time, so I might as well give you a better room." He stepped back into the shadows. "But if you want to stay here, go ahead."

"F#ck, wait!" Cid walked quickly across the room to follow the… Beast. He didn't have a better name to call him other than that, since his host didn't give him his name. 'Beast' held open the door for him, telling him to go ahead. Cid glared, and stepped towards the door when his spear was yanked out of his hand and Beast cut in front of him a the last minute, holding Cid's spear. "Bastard" Cid grumbled, then followed him down the stairs.

Cid's host had led him through many different halls until they were once again by the stairs in the entrance hall. Cid looked at the door across from him. Wondering if he could make it if he sprinted, then decided against it, those claws look pretty sharp.

Beast led him down a passageway that Cid didn't notice when he first came in. Cid looked around, it looked like every other hall. Creepy gargoyles, painting, black and scarlet painted walls. What Cid didn't notice was a whispered conversation between Beast and the black candleholder he was carrying.

"Say something to him!" Whispered Zack.

Vincent was the name the beast was called, which Cid didn't know, turned his head slightly towards his prisoner. "This mansion is now your home, you may go anywhere you like, except the West Wing.

Cid turned towards Vincent. "What's in the West Wing? Any good reason why I can't go there?"

Cid's host turned quickly and stopped Cid in his tracks. "It is forbidden!" Vincent half-growled, half-roared.

"Okay!" Cid stepped back slightly.

Vincent resumed to leading Cid to his room, and Cid followed, annoyed. Once they got there, Vincent held open the door for him. "If you need anything, my servants will attend to you."

"Invite him to dinner!" Zack whispered.

"You are to join me at dinner… And that's not a request," Vincent shut the door quickly behind Cid when Cid had walked into the room.

Cid spun around and tried the doorknob. _Locked_, Cid thought, and then kicked the door in anger. Cid turned around and noticed how sparsely furnished the room was. It only had a bed, wardrobe, and one table. Though the bed was larger than any other Cid had seen before. He also noticed a huge window on the other side of the bed, but he didn't care.

Cid walked across the room and sat down on one side of the bed. He pulled a cigarette out of its pack, Yuffie always got on his back about him smoking indoors, literally. Whenever she would find him smoking inside, she would jump onto his back and wouldn't get off until he went outside. She did it every time she found him doing it, so Cid got used to the idea of smoking outside. At the moment, he was smoking inside, part because Yuffie wasn't here, and the other part was to piss off that f#cking bastard.

* * *

Shera sat glumly in front of the fireplace at the tavern. True, she had been turned down multiple times by Cid before, but this was the first time she had asked him to marry her. One can only take so many rejections before losing heart. Palmer was worried, he had never seen Shera this sad, and so he went to cheer her up. 

"Hey Shera," Palmer said as he walked up to her, carrying two glasses of the taverns finest beer.

"Leave me alone," Shera muttered, turning away from him.

"Come on," Palmer insisted, presenting her with one of the tankards. "I've never seen you this bad."

Shera grabbed both of the tankards and threw them into the flames. "Nothing helps…"

"Cheer up!" Palmer said. "You can try again!" Shera sighed.

"I told you to leave me alone."

"I can't when I see you like this! You're the best of the best Shera!" Palmer told her, making hand gestures to go along with what he was explaining. "I've never seen you this down in the dumps!"

When Palmer was about to go into a song about how good and great Shera was, the door to the tavern burst open violently.

"Yuffie?" Questioned the owner, in complete shock to see the girl there, she never in her life came near the tavern if she could find an excuse not to go.

When everyone in the building turned towards the door, they did see that it was Yuffie. She was standing in the doorway, letting the early snow in. Then she rushed forward, closing the door behind her.

"I need help!" Yuffie said in panic. "He's got big bro locked up in the dungeon!" She babbled on, saying things along those as she rushed through the tables and people, grabbing them and shaking them. "I need help!"

"Whoa! Whoa!" Shera said, standing up to grab Yuffie by the shoulders. If nobody believed that the girl was crazy before, they would now. Yuffie was shaking, and seemed to have a wild look on her. Her babbling also added to it as well. "Yuffie! What are you talking about?"

"He's got Cid! A beast has Cid!" Yuffie exclaimed. People around the tavern thought it was a good time to make fun of her.

"Is this beast huge?" A tall man snickered, using his jacket to make himself look larger.

"Enormous!"

"Does he have sharp teeth?" Laughed another man.

"He has fangs! I swear!"

As other people in the bar said things and laughed, it dawned on Yuffie, cutting through her panic, that they were making fun of her.

Yuffie slid to the wooden floorboards underneath her, her hands resting on her legs, palms facing her. "You're making fun of me…" Yuffie sniffed. She felt like crying, but she tried to stop herself. She promised herself that she wouldn't cry anymore, ever since daddy died, so she wouldn't worry Cid. But against her best efforts, a few tears trickled down her cheeks.

Everyone in the bar stopped jeering at her. Even if she was the mechanic's crazy little sister, they had made a girl cry.

Shera stared down at Yuffie. "So Cid has been taken prisoner by a beast?"

"Y-yes" Yuffie said quietly.

"I think we can help you" Shera grinned, she needed to get back at someone for what Cid did to her, so why not take it out on his sister?

Yuffie brightened up. "You'll help me out?"

"Yes… We'll help you out," Shera said. She waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. Two men grabbed Yuffie by her arms and slowly dragged her towards the door.

"What?" Yuffie exclaimed. "You said you'd help me!"

"I said we'd help you OUT!" Shera called back, as Yuffie was thrown outside into the snow. She sat down once again in her chair, thinking. She had gotten an idea from the pilot's crazy sister. "Palmer!"

The fat man wandered up from the bar. "Yea?"

"I've been thinking. You know Yuffie has a few cards missing from her deck?"

"Yea…" Palmer said uneasily. He had no idea where Shera was going with this.

"Cid would do anything for his sister, even though he tries to hide it."

"Mmm," Palmer nodded his head.

"… I'll threaten to send Yuffie to the asylum if Cid doesn't marry me!"

"Isn't that a bit crude?"

"Yea, but it will work," Shera assured.

Palmer shook his head. "Nobody plots like you Shera."

"I know!"

* * *

Yuffie had gotten herself out of the snow, and was now wandering back home. She decided that if nobody in the tavern would help her, the whole town wouldn't either. As she began to shiver, she asked a question to the world. "Will nobody help?" 

Of course, she never got an answer.

To Be Continued

* * *

Silver Dragon: Hey! Um… Shera is a bitch, like a bitch at my school. Don't ask about Cid and Yuffie's past, I had to make something up, and alcohol seem to be on my mind, even if I can't drink it... It's pretty stupid, but then again, I think almost all my work is stupid. Ah well. Anyway, do you like it or do you not? Review pretty please! 


	4. Be Our Guest!

Silver Dragon: _Shifty eyes_ Uh... Sorry for the long wait. I've had a hectic... Long time... Then the exams came and stabbed me in the back...And I promised myself I would finish writing Therra (my own story) over the summer... Er... Well, at least the chapter is longer than the rest, I think. OH! I'M IN THE DOUBLE DIGITS FOR REVIEWS! Okay, I know twelve isn't much, but I'm new at this. And there were some questions! Hurray!

**Aymeleh**- No, Shera is not that evil, I just made her that way. I don't like her much because she gets in the way of Vincent and Cid relationship.

**Lilalou**- Yes, it does mean ZackxSeph, there are also a couple of other side couples, like Cloud and Aeris, maybe Reno and Rude... You can choose on the last one, do you want it?

Disclaimer: I don't own

Enjoy! And don't be mad... Oh, I apologize before hand about being unable to make Barret act or speak like himself.

* * *

Chapter Three: Be Our Guest! 

Cid was broken from his sleep when the door was repeatedly knocked on. Cid blinked a couple of times, to wake up. When had he fallen asleep? Cid sighed, he must have been tired.

The knocking on the door got louder, and then Cid heard a voice.

"Do ya want some tea? 'Cause if you don't, I have other things to do."

"Fine, come in, dammit" Cid answered.

"I can't! I don't have any friken hands ya fool!"

Cid took this as meaning the owner of the voice's hands were full, so he walked up to the door and opened it, wondering why it was unlocked now.

Cid looked out to see a trolley with a black teapot and cups on it, nothing else. He then looked up and down the hall on both sides of the door, wondering where the voice had come from. That was when he noticed the teapot had eyes and a mouth.

"Are ya gonna let me in?" The teapot asked in a gruff male voice. Cid blinked, stepped back and let the trolley in, not know what else to do.

"You're a f#ckin' teapot…"

"So? You're a blonde"

After closing the door, Cid backed you and bumped into the wardrobe.

"Watch out," said a kind and soft female voice. Cid turned around to notice that the wardrobe had a face as well. Cid's hand was unconsciously reaching for his cigarette pack, thinking a good smoke would clear his mind.

"You know, smoking is bad for you" the wardrobe told him.

"Let him do what he wants Aeris" muttered the teapot.

"Okay then Barret..."

"What the f#ck is going on here?" Cid swore loudly.

"Oh dear," said Aeris, worriedly. "Barret, give him some tea, and then we should explain."

"Whatever."

Barret poured tea into a cup, then added some milk and sugar. "Go on Marlene, and don't spill" he said softly, and kindly to a small light pink teacup.

"Okay Daddy!" Marlene said happily, and then carefully hopped towards Cid, who had seated himself on the bed.

"We can't tell you everything," Aeris told Cid. He had picked up the teacup named Marlene, and was now take sips, trying to calm down. "But we were once human, then something happened to turn us into this."

"Is there any pattern with what you turned into?" Cid asked, it seemed like a good question.

"No!" Barret growled. "I'm the blacksmith at this place, and fer some reason I'm a teapot!"

"Well, some of us were turned into something similar to our job," Aeris said. "Like me, I'm the tailor, so I guess wardrobes have to do with holding clothes."

"Reno and Rude are another two…" muttered Barret.

"What are they?" Cid asked, finishing off his tea.

"They're the mansion guards, and they were turned into suits of armour," Barret told him. "They usually hang out together."

"The one with the long red feather in his helmet is Reno, while Rude has nothing on his," Aeris added.

"Hm…" Cid said, he had finally calmed down, somewhat. "Any f#ckin' reason you're here?"

"Reeve said you'd probably like some tea," Barret shrugged, as best as a teapot with no shoulders could do.

"Reeve?"

"The chef in the kitchen, he is now a stove."

"Ah"

"Anyway, time to get you dressed for dinner with the master!" Aeris said happily. She opened her doors when moths flew out. She blushed. "How embarrassing, she giggled. "Right, I think you would look great in this!"

"F#ck! I'm not wearing that, for two f#ckin' reasons. One, that's a dress" Cid pointed at what was a blue dress.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" Aeris apologized. "I really should check before I pull out something-"

"Two, I'm not going." Cid interrupted Aeris. Barret and the pink wardrobe looked at him as if he had grown another head.

"You hafta be crazy!" Barret almost yelled. "To turn down dinner with him!"

"I f#ckin' am, and you won't change my mind."

"Might as well jump off a cliff while you're at it," Barret warned. "Come on Marlene, let's go get cleaned up."

"Coming Daddy!" The small teacup hopped after the black teapot.

"Barret!" Aeris called, Barret turned around before he left. "Say hi to Cloud for me!"

"Fine, fine." Barret mumbled when he left, when he did, the doors closed behind him.

"Are you sure you're not going?" Aeris asked, hoping Cid would change him mind.

"F#ck yes"

* * *

Vincent paced back and forth in the dinning hall, seething. "Where is he?" He growled. 

Up on the mantle above the fireplace of the dinning hall, Barret and Zack exchanged glances.

"He did just lose his sister and everything, remember?" Zack reminded him.

"Let him have some time, Vincent" Barret said.

The beast stopped his pacing and glared at them. "Don't call me that," he said. "I am monster, not who I once was."

"Oh come on! Everybody knows it isn't your fault that this happened to us!" Zack exclaimed. "So stop blaming yourself!"

Just when Vincent was about to reply, the door opened slightly. Everyone in the room turned to it, hoping to see a certain person, but their gazes were met with a silver clock.

"Where is he?" Vincent asked.

"He said he wasn't coming," Sephiroth said, he had always been to the point.

There was a slight pause of silence before Vincent rushed out of the room with out saying a word.

"Oh crap," Zack said, jumping off the mantle to follow him. Barret and Sephiroth ran, or in Sephiroth's case, speed walked out of the room after him.

The three of them caught up with Vincent, to find him banging on Cid's door. "Open the door!"

"No f#ckin' way," they heard Cid's muffled voice say.

"Why aren't you down at dinner?"

"I don't f#ckin' want to be there!"

"You come out right now!"

"NO!"

"Fine!" Vincent growled. "If you won't come out now, you can just stave to death!"

"F#ckin' fine with me!"

Vincent turned and glared at the three people, err… Objects, behind him. "Make sure he doesn't leave this room, ever!"

"You sure you can't be a bit more kind?" Zack asked, Vincent never has gotten mad like this before, it was king of scaring him.

"No!" With that, Vincent stalked off down the hall.

Sephiroth turned back to the other two after Vincent turned around the corner. "Right, you heard him, Zack, you're on first watch." Sephiroth commanded. " Don't screw up."

"I don't screw things up!" Zack countered, but went to stand in front of the door.

"I'll go back an' tell the others to clean up…" Muttered Barret.

Sephiroth sighed. "I'm coming with you, but I need to check on Strife."

* * *

Vincent climbed his way up the stairwell. It led towards the place he had denied Cid, the West Wing. When he had walked into the only room in the Wing, he went towards the balcony. Vincent stepped over and around the littered, ruined furniture. Then he came upon the only good conditioned table, which had the rose that the sorceress had given him years before. 

Vincent looked down at the sad rose; its peak of beauty was a long time ago. Now it was slowly wilting.

Beside the glass dome, which kept the rose safe from the outside elements, was a mirror. Not only did it allow you to see your reflection, but it had magical properties too.

As another petal fell, Vincent picked up the mirror. He wanted to see what Cid was doing. "Show me the man."

The mirror's frame crackled around, the magic doing its work, until a clear picture appeared in the reflective glass. Cid was sitting on his bed, beside him was Aeris.

"Come on, if you give him a chance," Aeris told the pilot. "He is really nice if you get to know him."

Vincent smiled, Aeris stood up for anyone. She didn't care what they looked like or who they were, monster or not.

"I don't f#ckin' want to, dammit!" growled Cid.

Vincent frowned, why had this man decided to become his prisoner? Oh yes, to save his sister. He must really love her to give up his own freedom to help her.

The beast put the mirror down and walked onto the balcony. His thoughts were on what it would feel like… To be loved.

* * *

Cid's door opened slightly and his head popped out. He looked down the hall on both sides cautiously. Satisfied that he didn't see anybody, or anything at that matter, he stepped out of the room. 

Cid had gotten hungry since his 'host' came banging on his door, demanding him to come down. Cid would be damned before he went and asked the beast for food now. He decided that he could find his own damn way to the kitchen, and make himself something. Cid walked off towards the stairs.

There was a slight muffing behind a wall tapestry. Then Zack's head appeared from behind it.

"Oh crap!" Zack swore. "He's getting away!" He hopped out from behind the tapestry. "We have to go after him!"

"You know, this is your fault," came another voice. "If you hadn't come on my shift, this wouldn't have happened."

Zack turned and watched as Sephiroth came out from behind the tapestry as well. "Come on, you know you want me," Zack joked.

"Stop it, now let's follow him."

* * *

"I cook up a great meal!" Reeve complained, which he didn't do a lot. "I was hoping for someone other than Vincent, who doesn't eat much in the first place, eating. In the end the meal gets wasted!" 

"The smoker doesn' seem to like Vince much," muttered Barret.

A blue standing coat hanger looked up from it's work of cleaning the dishes. It picked up a small chalkboard, which was always around it. With a piece of chalk it wrote: _Well, the smoker, or whatever his name is, hasn't seen a lot of Vincent. All he knows is that Vincent is a monster that took away his freedom and made a prisoner of his younger sister._

Barret and Reeve read it over, and then nodded.

"Ya know? It's really annoying you can't talk in that form," Barret said.

_I know_, Cloud wrote.

"That as it may be, Cid never really gave Vincent a chance for him to get to know Vincent," Reeve pointed out. "If Cid had given him time, then maybe this mess wouldn't have happened."

Cloud looked as thoughtful as a coat hanger could be. _Yeah, to bad that didn't happen._

The kitchen door opened, by none other than Sephiroth and Zack, who came running in. "Did we beat him?" Zack gasped out.

_Who?_ Cloud asked.

"Cid!" Zack exclaimed. "He's coming this way! Good thing we beat him here."

"What does that fool want?" Barret asked.

"Food. Why else would he be coming to the kitchen," Sephiroth answered curtly. Barret growled.

"After he turned down my last meal? No," Reeve stated.

The kitchen door opened again, and Cid walked in. He blinked. "F#ck, I didn't think all you guys would be here."

"Someone has to clean up the food that went to waste…" Muttered Reeve.

Cid caught what the stove said. "Sorry, but I didn't want to eat with that guy."

_I'm pretty sure we have some food left over, like bread and milk…_ Cloud wrote, and then he put the small chalkboard down, moving towards the breadbox.

"No!" Zack yelled suddenly, making everyone jump, except for Sephiroth, who would never ever do something so undignified. "He is our guest! We should make him feel welcomed! We can do that better with a proper meal."

"He is going to get mad if he hears us," Sephiroth warned.

"Then we'll be quiet!" Zack said, then he started hopping towards the door. "This way Cid! To the dining room!" Cid followed the candleholder out.

"Well, let's do it, we don't have anything else to do," Barret shrugged.

* * *

Zack led Cid into the dining room. It was a vast long room, with a table almost as long as it. 

"Sit here," Zack told him, as he jumped onto the table. Cid sat down in the chair Zack had mentioned. It was comfortable and was at the head of the table.

Cloud walked up and set the cutlery for his spot, then handed Cid a napkin.

"Thanks," Cid said.

_No problem_, Cloud replied, and walked back towards the kitchen.

"Now, what is a dinner without theatre?" Zack asked no one in particular.

Sephiroth, who had walked in when Cloud had left, heard this, and came rushing forward. "What? No Zack, no singing please."

"Are you saying I can't sing!" Zack gasped, then he began to pretend to cry. "He doesn't like my singing…"

Sephiroth hit his forehead. "It isn't your singing-"

"Yay!" Zack said jubilantly. When Sephiroth climbed onto the table, Zack launched himself at the clock, and hugged him fiercely.

"Get off Zack," Sephiroth growled, trying to pry the black candleholder off, but with no prevail.

"Okay!" Zack said as he got off Seph. "Now, for the dinner theatre!"

"What? No!"

Zack mastered the art that is called ignorance long ago, as it was proven here. Even through the mists of Sephiroth's yelling, death glares, and threats of bodily harm, Zack gathered his things.

He stood in the middle of the table, with a matchstick in hand, pretending it was a cane. He slowly looked up. "Be… Our… Guest, be our guest!" Zack slowly began to sing, his voice climbing higher.

Cid was surprised, to say that least. Zack did have a good singing voice for who Cid thought he was. In Cid's mind, Zack was kind of like Yuffie, except male, older, and acted his age more than she did. That and Yuffie couldn't sing to save her life, which is what surprised Cid about Zack's voice. The blonde felt a sudden pang of homesickness; he hoped Yuffie was alive and safe.

"Dun dun dun! Dun dun dun!" Were the words that awoke Cid from his thoughts. He had thought he was hearing them wrong, but Zack was really saying: 'dun dun dun'.

"What the f#ckin' Hell?"

"Ignore him, here comes your meal," said Sephiroth, who was standing close by.

Cid looked down to see that there was his meal, but there was something bothering him. "Why is he saying that?"

Zack, who was listening to their conversation, decided to jump in. "I forgot the lines!" Then he began to laugh… In rhythm with the song.

Sephiroth sighed and rubbed his temples. "Stop laughing, it's really creepy when you do it like that."

"Aw, come on Seph! Lighten up! Live a little!" Zack said, and with that, he grabbed Seph and danced with him.

"Let me go Zack,"

"Never!"

"Zack…"

Cid watched this little argument go on, as he ate his dinner. After awhile Zack had let Seph go, and called on Barret to sing. 'I don't sing, ya damn fool!' was his reply. So, Zack went on singing, adding in the words when he remembered them.

* * *

After Zack finished singing, he bowed overdramatically, in the directions of the people in the room. "Thank you, thank you." 

Cid couldn't help but clap. Zack's performance was very good, despite the lack of words.

Zack straightened up from his bow, and smiled when he heard the sound, then smiled even more when Sephiroth and the others joined in. Seeing how there were only five of them in the room, Zack felt as if there was a whole audience clapping for him. "This is the happiest day of my life, do I get a prize?" He turned to look at Seph especially.

"… Fine, but later," Sephiroth answered. Zack jumped up and down happily, and then he ran forward and wrapped his arm around Sephiroth's shoulders.

"Well, I don't know where to start, but I'd like to thank my parents, even if they aren't here to see me," Zack said, pretending he had won an award. "Oh ya! I'd like to thank my friends and to say that, without them I wouldn't have gotten this far."

"Stop it Zack, and don't flatter yourself." Sephiroth told the other, cutting the candleholder off from saying anything else. Seph shrugged off Zack's arm and looked over at Cid. "I think its now a good time for you to go back to your room."

"What? F#ck that, no way." Cid said, annoyed. "If I'm staying here for the rest of my life, I might as well know how to get around."

_He has a point Seph_, Cloud 'said'.

"Fine. Zack and I will do that," Sephiroth agreed. "You know, you've been acting differently ever since you lost your ability to speak."

_Whatever_, and with that, Cloud picked up Cid's plate. They all watched as he went into the kitchen.

"Anyway! Let's go!" Zack said, jumping off of the table and towards the door. Sephiroth jumped off as well, and followed the black candleholder.

"F#ck, wait up!" Cid swore, he got up and jogged to catch up with them.

* * *

Sephiroth and Zack had given Cid a tour of the mansion. As they got closer to the end of the trip, Cid was still as lost as he was before hand. It didn't really help that Sephiroth had talked about how the mansion was built, but he did stop when he noticed neither Cid nor Zack were listening. 

They had come to an intersection of two corridors when Cid heard the sound of clinking metal.

"What's that sound?" Cid asked, seeing how the other two didn't seem surprised by the sound.

Zack blinked. "Oh, that's Reno and Rude," he answered. "They're probably doing their round for this area."

Cid turned his head to where the sound was coming from, and two suits of armour appeared. He remembered that Aeris and Barret mentioned that the two suits were on of the few that got turned into something close to what they did.

Both the suits were a dark coloured blue, and they looked almost alike, except for the few, but distinct, differences between them.

The one on the right had a red fuzzy thing coming out of their helm, and it fell down to about mind back, like a ponytail. It also had a black visor, but it was kept up, somewhat like how Cid wore his goggles. Cid didn't see a face underneath the visor, just complete darkness. The suit on the left just had the black visor, but it kept it down, as if it were wearing sunglasses.

Both the suits stopped from their walk, Cid guessed that they had noticed him. He also had the feeling that they both had one eyebrow raised, even if they didn't have them anymore.

"Well, well, whose this?" Asked the one with the red 'ponytail'. Cid then remembered that Aeris said that his name was Reno.

"This is Cid Highwind," Zack introduced. "He is going to break the curse."

Cid was about to ask that curse he was supposed to break, when Reno walked up and started to look him up and down.

"What f#ck do you want?" Cid growled, he didn't like the way Reno was circling him. Rude, as Cid remembered, had moved forward, but was standing still, near the silver clock.

Reno completely ignored Cid, and turned to Rude. "So, what do you think?"

"Possibly," was the one word reply from the other suit. Reno nodded, then turned to Zack and Seph.

"Are you sure? Vincent-" Reno had started to say when Sephiroth gave him a death glare and Zack mouthed: 'don't say Vince's name, Cid doesn't know it and Vince will probably get mad… Again.'

"Vincent? Is that the bastard's name?" Cid asked, none to nicely.

"No, anyway we have to finish our tour," Sephiroth said a little too quickly, and Cid got suspicious. Why would they try and hide their master's name?

"I'm pretty sure he will," Zack told Reno. "He is the last chance we've got."

"Whatever you say, but we'll see in the end," Reno shrugged, and then he and Rude went to their beat of the mansion.

"What the f#ck is this you were talking about?" Cid asked.

"Nothing that concerns you," Sephiroth answered again. This clock was getting on his nerves, so was not getting the correct answers to his questions.

Zack decided it was a good time to change the subject. Unfortunately, his choice of topic wasn't the best. "This is the West Wing."

Cid's head shot up and he started to walk towards the stairs. There was a strong possibility that some of his answers were up there. "Can we go up there?"

Sephiroth and Zack leapt in front of the pilot. "Uh, no, we can't."

"How come? It doesn't seem bad," Cid countered, stepping past the duo. "What is he hiding up there?"

"Nothing, nothing at all," the candleholder said quickly. "Is there anything else we can interest you with?"

Sephiroth decided to help him, which was sometimes rare. "The armoury? Very nice weapons." Cid shook hi head, and took another step.

"How about the workshop?" Zack asked desperately. "Great place to build stuff."

That caught Cid's attention, but he thought that whatever was up there was more important. He took a couple of more steps. "I don't know..."

"How about the library?" Sephiroth asked, not losing his cool. Then again, the Great Sephiroth never lost his cool.

THAT got Cid's attention, in more ways than one. He stopped. "A library?"

"Yes! We have a library. With tons and tons of books! About everything you could think of," Zack said, happy with relief. "We could show it to you right now." He linked arms with Sephiroth, and walked down the stairs.

Cid followed at a slower pace. He wouldn't have minded going there, but whatever was up there seemed more important. When the pilot was sure that the other two were further away, Cid turned around and walked up the stairs.

The hallway didn't seem different, but the feeling and look was much more darker than the rest of the place. When he got to the end of the hall, he found a large door. Cid hesitated before opening it, but went through with it anyway.

Inside was a room, or at least what was left over of one. The room was destroyed; furniture was turned over, or broken apart completely. There was the bit and pieces of a bed, which probably resemble his own if it were still one piece, in the corner. Cobwebs and dust were everywhere; Cid began to wonder what was so special about the place.

Cid walked through the mess, stepping over any objects in his way. There was one thing that stopped him in his travels towards the balcony at the other end.

It was a painting, there was claw marks scratched across it, so you couldn't see it properly. Cid tried to fix it as best as he could, and saw what it was. It was a man, who, from what he could tell, had long black hair. The skin was extremely pale, but that just seem to add to him. He was really handsome, that was when Cid noticed his red eyes. They matched perfectly with his host's… There was no way that they were the same person. This man seemed to look nice, while the monster was rude… But there was something in Cid's mind telling him otherwise.

Leaving it alone for now, Cid continued walking to the other side of the room. That was where he found the only undamaged thing in the room.

A table in perfect condition, but that wasn't what caught Cid's eye. On that table was a rose. It was a deep red, prefect for it's type, but it's wilting and the petals around it seemed to pull away from its beauty, making it look depressing. Cid walked closer to it, and wondered why it was behind a glass dome.

When the pilot was in front of it, he noticed a mirror, but he didn't care about it. Cid lifted the glass off of the rose and placed it on the floor. His hand reached forward, and he was about to touch it when a gust of wind passed and the glass dome was slammed down onto the rose again. If Cid hadn't gotten his hand away in time, he probably would have lost a couple of fingers.

Cid had a sinking feeling that he knew who put the glass back down and stopped him.

"What are you doing here?" Vincent growled, advancing on the blonde. "I told you this place was forbidden."

Cid took as many steps back as the beast took forward. "I wanted to know why it was f#ckin' forbidden." Cid stopped moving backwards and stood his ground. "I live here now, don't I? So I should have every f#ckin' right to explore my home!"

"I allowed you to go everywhere else but here, isn't that enough freedom?" Vincent asked, receiving a glared in return. "So much for me believing you would allow me to have my privacy…" Vincent massaged his temples with his claws, he didn't want, or need, this right now.

Cid blinked, it was weird, seeing the monster do such a human-like action. His eyes shifted between the destroyed painting, to the beast before him. There was no way that they were the same person…. What was it that Reno called him? "Vincent?"

The said person's eyes snapped open, and they were glowing with anger. "Get out." The growl was so low Cid almost missed it, but he got the point when Vincent began to advance on him, with his claws in a striking position.

Cid took a couple of steps back again, surprised. Why was he acting this way, Cid only said his name. "What's a matter?"

"Get out," Vincent repeated, louder this time. He shoved a broken chair out of the way violently. "Get out and never say that name again."

When Cid didn't move, Vincent roared and threw an already destroyed table into the wall. Cid jumped, began to back up, then he spun around and rushed out of the room.

Cid ran down the stairs, grabbed his coat, which Cloud was holding when he came by. The said coat hanger was shaking his head somewhat sadly. Cid had the coat on by the time he came to the bottom of the main staircase.

Zack and Sephiroth had to duck when Cid decided to jump over them while he ran down the hall to the doors.

"What the..." Zack said when a shadow leap over them. When he looked up, he saw Cid. "Where are you going?"

"I don't give a damn about the f#ckin' deal, this is f#ckin' stupid!" Cid called over his shoulder as he opened the door. It was slammed shut loudly.

"He is running away…" Sephiroth muttered, then he returned to getting up the stairs. Zack stared at the door for a couple of moments longer, before he followed Sephiroth.

* * *

Vincent, after chasing Cid out, slid to the ground. Ever since he first met the pilot he noticed that he never showed hear in his eyes, just defiance. It had annoyed Vincent at first, but then he began to envy Cid. Cid was able to keep his cool and stay himself even when he was faced with the impossible. Unlike himself, Vincent thought sadly, he ran and hid. The beast turned man sighed, disgusted with himself, but he knew that long ago. 

Now Vincent was more disgusted because of what happened. That was the first time he saw any hint of fear in the other man's eyes, and he had caused it. He really was a monster now.

Beginning to get a sinking feeling in his stomach, Vincent stood up. He was going to get Cid back, for other reasons than the deal.

To be continued

* * *

Silver Dragon: For some reason Cloud appears to be somewhat all knowing... That worries me... Ah well, whatever. Review pretty please with a cherry on top. : )


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